Superman Man of steel
by gaebooel
Summary: A story based on the character Superman from DC. It carries off from the events of the movie Man of Steel. Please review as this is my first work here and help me improve. Thank you.
1. Chapter 1

"It seems a man with a red cape is growing quite popular in the good city of Metropolis master Wayne", said Alfred as he passed a towel to a perspiring Bruce.

"Alien, Alfred. Not a man an alien", replied a not so enthusiastic voice.

"Perhaps that million dollar satellite that now graces the local garbage is the reason for your cold demeanour master Wayne, a petty reason at that I might add", remarked Alfred.

"Are you done Alfred?" the voice still as nonchalant as before.

"You are also to attend a formal dinner tonight with the president of Lexcorp at the Gotham Elite. Reservation for 8.30 pm. That will be all master Wayne." saying this Alfred left the room.

As Alfred left Bruce thought to himself how he had been so dependent on Alfred after the death of his parents. He had little time to look over the Wayne mansion let alone the entire Wayne Enterprises. As he finished his last morning push ups he remembered how long it took him to convince Alfred to learn forging his signature. He knew he could trust Alfred even during the worst of times. Bruce then let his mind wander to the events that took place in Metropolis.

During shower he made up his mind that he was going to research and update himself on the alien phenomenon. He knew that the one they now referred to as Superman fondly including his trusted butler Alfred meant no harm. News had been covering the events of Metropolis quite vehemently and one particular newspaper company The Daily Planet was portraying the alien as a hero and a champion. Trust however was as alien to him as the Man of Steel. Could he trust him, one could hardly blame him knowing where he operated in, the epitome of corruption Gotham City. As he donned a sharp suit he thought to himself what would be the best way to confirm for himself the true nature of the alien. Suddenly he reached for his phone and dialed furiously."Yes, I'd like for you to arrange for my departure to Metropolis."

"Man you talking like crazy. He is not coming. So just shut up and help me load this bag into the truck" an agitated voice came from the big man they called Mark. The other guy of average build was an accomplice of Mark known as Hunter and they were trying to rob the Bank Of Metropolis in broad daylight. Hunter was sceptic about the heist as he was expecting the blue suited alien anytime.

"Hey Mark I heard the best guns of the US military couldn't scratch him, maybe we should give up now when we can" said Hunter.

"So what huh. He can deflect bullets so what. He can lift trucks so what. He ain't omnipresent. He ain't god. He can't stop what he doesn't know. He can't stop this robbery cos he doesn't know. He must be flying around admiring nature somewhere in Australia while we finish our thing here so stop being a wimp Hunter and lend me a hand will ya" retorted Mark.

"Okay Mark but you should know I also heard that..."

"Stop right there hunt..."interfered Mark, "if you say 'I heard that' one more time I am shooting you get it."

The culprits felt the air blow violently behind their backs all of a sudden. "You were too loud for me. Sorry to disappoint Mark but I know." There was the champion, floating over the heads of the bank employees who bowed to the guns of two random goons.

Hunter froze in his presence. The gun fell of his hand like an unfaithful friend. Mark though was a tough customer.

"They say you are invincible, well (a long pause) I don't believe that crap", saying this he started shooting at the hero till he ran out of bullets. "So you are after all what they say you are eh".

"Surrender now peacefully and reform yourselves. You can do better" said the calm voice.

"Well we don't have any say in the matter do we now Superman" smirked Mark.

"No, you don't"...


	2. Chapter 2: The calm before the storm

"Cancel my trip to Gotham" said Luthor as he gazed outside the window from his office on the 15th floor.

"As you say Mr. Luthor, I was pretty excited to meet Mr. Wayne though" replied Mercy Graves. Mercy was Luthor's loyal bodyguard and assistant. She was tall and well built deceivingly for her young age. Well versed in self defence techniques like Kickboxing and very effective in managing Luthor's hectic schedule Mercy Graves was an indispensable asset for Lex Luthor.

"You will meet him. That arrogant fool plans on visiting Metropolis. Saves me some effort and time. The idea of visiting Gotham was always repulsive to me" said Luthor.

Lex Luthor was a multi-billionaire. A business tycoon based on Metropolis. The owner of Lexcorp a company that was as diverse with it's services and products as Wayne Enterprises. "Miss Graves could you turn that up please" Lex pointed to the huge screen on the wall.

A reporter who looked to be in his late forties reported, "The men identified as Marcus Caine and Hunter Dillon have been arrested and the employees have no one else to thank but Superman. The police have confirmed that 6 gunshots were fired but no one was harmed in the vicinity..."

Lex who was now smiling to himself with a cynical spark in his eyes kept his gaze on the television screen. Mercy Graves who noticed this couldn't help but ask her employer what was going through his mind.

"Survival of the fittest is an axiom Miss Graves. There are no exceptions. Living or dead, human or alien" he continued with an ominous tone, "this charade he is pulling off as hero won't last long. Power always corrupts. I'll expose his true nature to the world. The world will then long for it's true saviour. Can you guess who that saviour is?"

"uhmmmm... you?" came the reply.

"Brilliant Miss Graves. You always were a bright one." smiled Luthor.

"And how will that happen sir?" asked Mercy.

"Oh it will happen. But for now set up a meeting with Wayne. I want him escorted to me the moment he keeps his foot here on Metropolis." ordered Luthor.

The Daily Planet was as busy as ever. Lois and Clark were told earlier that they were to cover a story on the joint venture of Wayne Enterprises and Lexcorp. The story was a big one. Both companies wanted in on the new alternative power source research undertaken by S.T.A.R Labs. Clark now had gotten used to his routine at the Planet. In his first week he covered minor stories about petty thefts and school fests but after 6 months he was busting crime rings in his reports and covering major stories and had come to Perry's good graces. Lois though was still numero uno at her game.

"Two guys with guns your morning was pretty eventful?" joked Lois as she interrupted Clark who was busy typing in his story on the computer.

"Glad it passes for humour Lois" said Clark not looking away from the screen still typing.

"Stop what you are doing and let's get moving Clark, we have to be at Lexcorp. I just had a call confirming Bruce Wayne's arrival. They are gonna entertain the press for only a fixed time you know" complained Lois.

"Ok Lois just let me finish here. And there, it's done" gasped Clark as he shifted his focus to Lois.

"Then let's go. We got a story to report" saying this Lois grabbed her brown jacket.

"Wayne old buddy how've you been?" a loud voice boomed as Lex Luthor embraced Bruce Wayne.

"Thanks for sending for me on such short notice Lex and I apologise for changing plans suddenly" said Wayne with a charming smile.

"Well anything for you. So how'd you like the big old Metropolis. Better than your dark scary Transylvania eh?" smiled Lex.

"To be honest I haven't seen much of Metropolis. You wouldn't mind if we hold business talks until later and let me wander off in your city for a while would you?" said Bruce.

"It's ok Bruce. I'll have Mercy here drive you around and maybe we can talk a little business over dinner later on" said Luthor.

"Oh don't worry Lex I'll see around by myself." said Wayne. "Besides Miss Mercy has already done enough escorting me here to Lexcorp" now looking at Mercy Graves.

"What about the press Wayne?" said Luthor.

"Later Lex", and then Bruce Wayne left.

"Miss Graves hand me my phone" ordered Lex. There was no response. He turned around furiously at his secretary and bellowed, "Mercy, the phone!"

Mercy Graves who was dreamily watching Wayne leave snapped back to her senses. "Sorry Mr. Luthor", as she handed him his phone.


	3. Chapter 3: And then they met

It was 8.30 p.m. and The Daily Planet was still a busy hive. Jimmy Olsen the photographer of the Planet was still as energetic as he was in the morning.

"Eventful day huh Miss Lane," said Jimmy with a wide grin.

"Eventful is a word that doesn't do justice to this day, first a major robbery in the morning, Bruce Wayne's sudden decision to visit and now a cancelled press conference, Perry has been running around frantic" sighed Lois.

"The science stuff that they are messing around with in S.T.A.R labs, is it really worth so much attention?" asked Jimmy.

"The people there are working on some alien technology that was recovered after the battle between the Kryptonians 7 months ago, the nerds think they are on the verge of discovering an alternative source of power which will be much more efficient and cheap" replied Lois.

"So they are basically mimicking Kryptonian technology to prevent Earth from exhausting it's natural resources but according to Superman's story reported by you Miss Lane he mentioned how his people were unable to prevent themselves from exhausting their own resources so copying them doesn't make much of a sense does it?" said Jimmy who looked confused.

"Don't know Jimmy. I've thought about that too. Alternate power source might after all just be a farce. I don't know what they intend on doing with the technology they now possess." said Lois.

As he looked through the walls of S.T.A.R labs a sudden displeasure crossed his face. He didn't feel the need to check the progress in S.T.A.R labs until recently he found out that the non-governmental facility had been working pretty close with Lexcorp. He could see scientists in uniforms with the Lexcorp logo working with the S.T.A.R personnel and he didn't like that. He was promised by General Swanwick that only S.T.A.R personnel would be allowed to access the alien technology without any interference or pressure from private sectors. With heavy disappointment he walked towards the main entrance.

He pressed the button on the door. The speaker carried a message saying "Only authorized people may pass."

"I am Superman and by General Swanwick's authority I demand the door be opened." said Superman.

The door opened with a beep sound. Superman sped his way to the central room of the facility where Zod's weapons were being fiddled by a group of 6 scientists.

"Can I get a progress analysis on whatever it is that you gentleman are working on?" Superman couldn't hide the scepticism in his voice.

"Sorry sir but unless you are accompanied by Mr. Luthor we are not allowed to divulge that information" replied one of them.

In a few seconds Superman rummaged the entire room leaving scattered project papers on the floor. "Tell me gentlemen. Does your alternate source of power project require research on applications of kryptonian sub particles for purposes of creating new age nuclear weapons?"

"Well you see we just carry out orders you know." replied the same man who answered earlier.

"I assume General Swanwick has no knowledge of what is happening here." said the man of steel.

"No, he does not." An unfamiliar voice came from the back. The voice continued, "You are pretty fast, took less than 2 seconds to cover the distance between the main door and this room."

Kal-El turned around to see the source of the husky voice that answered to his words uninvited. There, still partially hidden in the shadows stood the Caped Crusader. Kal-El looked back at the scientists suggesting they leave the room with his expressive eyes. The six left at once as if they noticed nothing.

"Before I hand you over to the police for the countless destruction of government property charges you have had pinned against you, tell me why would you blow your cover behind those walls to interrupt me in your right mind masked man," said superman with an inexpressive face.

"You, of all people talking about government property charges, you who nearly destroyed an entire city, an alien with a sense of humour" replied Batman. He then continued, "as for your question I can think of about a dozen ways still to be tested on you that could bring you down, Like this..." saying this he ran towards the man of steel.


	4. Chapter 4: A fight a rescue

An X-ray analysis of the masked man's physiology confirmed he was a normal human lacking any meta-human powers. Superman knew he had to hold back. As the caped crusader ran towards him he stood still, his inaction born out of curiosity so as to see what his adversary intended. "Here he comes," he thought.

Batman mid sprint put his right hand behind his back and used it to recover a black miniature hand grenade like projectile which he hurled towards Superman immediately. Superman caught the projectile with his left hand without any effort and smiled. Still smiling he looked towards Batman who was now nowhere to be seen.

"Sorry but I wasn't playing catch" came that distinct voice again. The Dark Knight was standing about 10 feet away. 'Pssssst...,' the spherical projectile clasped in Kal's mighty fist went off in a tiny explosion but that wasn't the trick. Immediately there was grey gas all over Superman exuded from the projectile that went off. As he coughed he felt his motion somewhat impaired and like that of a drunkard.

"What is happening to me?" asked Superman who was now kneeling and coughing. It was the first time someone had used an aerosol assault against him. His words were hardly audible covered in his coughs.

"High concentrations of fear inducing toxins compressed in projectiles. Amazing what an insane doctor can teach you." saying this Batman punched Superman with all his might. Superman fell to the ground now seeming unconscious. He picked the fallen alien by his throat and waited till the alien opened his eyes again and said, "You are a threat. You are not needed. Simply put you are an unwanted threat," he then let his fist fly towards Superman again but this time it didn't land where he had intended it to.

Batman's fist was totally clenched by Kal's imposing hand. Kal looked as though he never went through the assault that Batman had dished on him earlier. He said, "I am not a threat and you have no business here." He looked straight into the eyes of the Dark Knight and adjusted his X-ray vision to get an idea of the face behind the mask. First he got the skeletal system with minute tendons. He adjusted his eyes to get just what was under the mask and he got what he was looking for. "You!" saying this he let go of his hand shocked.

"They said you don't peek. They were wrong. Tell me what else they get wrong about you?" after these words a bat sonic devastator slipped into the palm of his hands which he activated without any hesitation. In a moment all the glasses in the room were shattered and Superman was holding his ears writhing in pain on the floor. When he saw that Kal was still trying to stand and reach for him he increased the frequency with a cold stare fixed on the alien who now appeared powerless. A kick connected right on the jaw of Superman who was now clearly in pain. Batman now sensed that a blow for blow exchange with Superman even if in his favour wasn't healthy for him. He was now well aware of the undeniable godlike durability and toughness of Superman's skin. His hands were hurting even with the protection from the hardened titanium woven gloves. It was like punching a brick wall with his bare hands yet he managed to hide the pain. "This might hurt," saying this he reached for the back of his belt fetching himself a taser which he shoved towards the grounded adversary who could do nothing but flinch in agony.

"Aaarrr.." cried out Superman, it was pain more than anger. He had been pushed too far now. He set his eyes on the sonic wave emitter with red glowing eyes and instantly it burned off Batman's hand with a minor explosion that distracted Batman. He flew towards Batman pushing him through a wall and pinning him against the wall on the other room. "I don't know if you are stupid or downright crazy but it is over Mr. Wayne." said Superman.

"For you that is," said Batman who now reached for the side of his belt.

"No you won't" said Superman who reached for the utility belt faster. "I told you... Arrrrgh" and down he fell. This feature of Batman's belt electrocuting anyone else but him on contact had been useful many a times before but never had he thought that it would help him in such a scenario.

Batman then shot his grapple gun towards the wall and propelled himself away from a recovering man of steel. "You should probably leave" were the last words as the Dark Knight disappeared. Superman who was still a little flustered couldn't make head or tail of what Batman said. As he stood up and dusted off he suddenly figured out what Batman meant much to his disdain. The facility was about to blow up to bits. He could see that all the supporting pillars and beams had been planted with black detonation machineries attached to timers. Batman had placed the bombs before they started fighting. Why did he want to blow up S.T.A.R labs? Why would the lives of hundreds of employees make no difference to a man who was hailed as the hero of Gotham? Why would he want to destroy a project centre on which he would be investing? Such were the questions left in his mind after his first encounter with the caped crusader but he knew the answers would have to wait as he had a job to do first. He raced towards the security room and triggered the fire alarm. There was mass panic instantly. The bombs had less than 3 minutes to explode. He could see the scientists and other employees struggling with limited exit area of the main entrance. He swooped down and punched through the walls increasing the area for exit. It was unconventional but effective. With almost over a minute in the actual time left one of the bombs planted on the main stairs went off prematurely causing panic and hysteria among the ones who were now trapped in the upper floors. Even with his speed, strength and stamina it would take too long to transport each one of them to safety individually or in pairs. He flew away from the lab towards the main city and in 10 seconds returned back carrying a bus with him and then he flew further inside the lab. Time had run out and the bombs went off engulfing the entire facility in flames and explosions.

The employees who escaped couldn't hold back their emotions for their trapped comrades. They started crying and sobbing. One of them would try to run towards the burning Lab only to be stopped by the fire-fighters. All hope was lost when suddenly a voice broke the dead lamenting atmosphere.

"Hey what's up there? Looks like a man carrying a... Oh my god... that's Superman!" cried an employee ecstatically.

Tearing through the smoke from the doomed facility, lifting a bus boarded by all the trapped employees was the man of steel. Slowly he descended down and carefully let the wheels kiss the ground.

"Ladies and Gentlemen a Touchdown... for Big Blue!" cried an emotional man whose wife boarded the bus.


	5. Chapter 5: A hero is complete

"What! do you know how much money went under the drain, I want a name I can sue you understand" barked Luthor on the phone. He had lost millions of dollars worth equipments during the explosion of the S.T.A.R facility last night. He had been devoting a lot of his money, attention and time to the alien technology research which was now in ashes. His hopes of supplying the U.S. military with modern weapons of war with the aid of Kryptonian technology were crushed. He had organised a press conference where he would address the whole world regarding the incident that had occurred. One wouldn't need to be wise to avoid him in his present mood. Luthor's rage had gained quite a reputation recently. He was as in the dark as the bewildered forensic investigators as to what had transpired the other night but he did know of a certain somebody whose name was coming up a lot, a certain somebody called Superman.

"Hurry up Clark or we are gonna be late." said Lois as she brushed her hair in quick strokes.

"You should get going Lois, I'll catch up with you." came his voice from the closed bathroom.

"I'll just run by The Planet and meet you later at Lexcorp ok." said Lois almost shouting.

"That'll be super" was the prompt reply.

As Lois left she recalled how he had been awfully silent the other night. He did manage to save all the people in the lab accident so why did he appear so gloomy. She knew he was hiding something but she wasn't worried. She knew he couldn't hide anything from her for too long. He was just so easy to break for her and she loved him more for that. Clark wiped off the steam residue on the mirror which now reflected his well chiseled face clearly. As reflected heat rays from his eyes carefully and accurately fell on his facial hair burning them down gradually he let his mind analyse all the unanswered queries involving the Batman. Might have been that he was after the alien technology but he did blow everything up so that didn't make sense. The explanations he came up with were frustrating as none made sense. For time being he assumed that he was working with Luthor who according to him was the chief architect behind the project of developing weapons using his native technology. He will be present during the press conference in the guise of Bruce Wayne and what my fists couldn't do my questions will he thought as he put on his glasses.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is with deep regret that I have to announce that our futuristic project and noble dream of achieving wonders with the discovery of new alternate power sources will be shutting down as a result of an unfortunate accident that occurred last night due to the carelessness of a few employees" addressed Luthor to the journalists and reporters who had gathered in the hall of Lexcorp Centre from all over Metropolis. "My company did suffer some minor financial blows but that's not important. What is important is that my employees who were working with S.T.A.R Labs are safe" said Luthor.

"Mr. Luthor would you like to thank the man who saved your people through this platform", asked an enthusiastic journalist from The Fawcett Herald.

Luthor was trying very hard to hide his anger at this point. He wanted to blame Superman for the accident, he wanted to scream out how much he despised the man of steel but knowing that some of his employees had eagerly spilled beans about their rescuer to the press earlier and fearing that the truth about his true research would surface he decided to stay calm. He started perspiring and then glanced at the expectant faces of all the journalists present there. "Thank you Superman" saying this he sat down and gulped a whole glass of water at one go. Wayne could see that Luthor's leg were shaking violently. Wayne still sitting down approached the microphone before him and joked "Slow down Lex that is not scotch". The hall burst into laughter at this comment.

"This question is for you Mr. Wayne. Since your purpose of visit to Metropolis is now officially over when do you plan on leaving for Gotham?" asked Lois.

"It seems you do not want me here Miss...uhmmmm..." replied Wayne.

"It's Lois Lane Mr. Wayne" said Lois who was now smiling like a young girl with a crush.

"Miss Lane I intend on leaving tomorrow and I am compelled to mention here that our last names rhyme perfectly" smiled Wayne looking straight through Lois eyes as if he could peek into her soul through them.

The mantle of rage had now passed on from Luthor to Clark. A very cool and laid back attitude of a man who nearly killed hundreds of employees the other night and now charming his lady love off her feet wasn't what he had envisioned the press meet would be like. He wanted to rip Wayne with his smart questions but his rage was clearly overcoming his ability to think. After a few more questions from the other journalists Clark was finally able to compose himself.

"Are you aware that some people have confirmed stories about another visitor from Gotham Mr. Wayne." asked Clark.

These words rocked the flirty billionaire psyche so hard that Wayne instantly reached for a glass of water like the other billionaire seated next to him had done some moments ago but he never let his inner disturbance surface on his calm cool face.

"I am not the only one with permission to travel to other cities from Gotham now am I" replied Wayne.

"Oh, he wasn't a tourist Mr. Wayne I assure you. He was present during last night's incident according to 6 employees who survived and he is referred to as The Batman in your city Mr. Wayne." said Clark.

Lex was shocked. All the journalists were now looking at Wayne who then started smiling, "Oh him, He is known to show up in the unlikeliest of places. He is weirdo who appears randomly and takes up more newspaper space than me, much to my disappointment I might add" said Wayne who now started laughing.

No matter how hard Clark tried Wayne was just too good. Lex came forward and couldn't hide the eagerness in his voice "This Batman thing, I was unaware of this; may I ask which of my employees shared this piece of information with you Mr. Whoever you are. No it doesn't matter. Perhaps he was responsible for the explosion. I want to sue Batman for all damages done to my property. I want to sue him for every penny he has got."

"Well you can't Lex. He doesn't have a lawyer and he doesn't like to show up to courts either." joked Wayne again.

Lex Luthor abruptly stood up and with heavy steps left the hall ending the tumultuous press conference. Bruce followed him and the press went into an uproar chasing both men with questions like, "Mr. Luthor does this mean you are starting a campaign against Batman?", "Mr. Wayne are you still dating that actress who appeared in...?" etc.

"Miss Graves I want them out of here and do not let anyone to my office. Wayne and I need to be alone." saying this Luthor took the elevator to his office accompanied by Wayne.

"The press here are much more demanding than that of Gotham" smiled Wayne.

"Enough of the wisecracks Wayne." said Luthor as he unlocked the door to his office. "Make yourself comfortable." saying this Luthor walked towards the bar in his office. "Can I get you something to drink?" asked Luthor. "I am fine, thank you." replied Wayne.

"Do you think he was responsible, this Batman." asked Luthor.

"I don't know Lex. If he did why would he?" replied Bruce.

Luthor didn't want Wayne to know what he intended him to invest on from the very beginning. "Forget it. I have found something big for us to invest on Wayne, human settlement in space. Soon the elite will be demanding for luxury apartments giving them the best view of the great canyons in the moon and the only two companies that will be providing them that would be ours. We will talk numbers only in trillions Wayne."

"Count me in Lex." said Bruce. He was personally going to study and update himself with this project that was offered as he had done with the previous one. He knew that Luthor was working on the weaponising of Kryptonian technology and not on finding alternate power sources, so he already knew what had to be done. He had confirmed for himself the powers of the Kryptonian and he had blown the research that could have given Earth alien weapons that would rather destroy then protect humanity. He had planned on evacuating all the employees before he blew up the S.T.A.R facility but much to his surprise Superman had decided to show up the same fateful night. He had to improvise and improvisation was what he did best. His purpose of visit to Metropolis was indeed over as Lois had said before.

Suddenly the men heard a knocking on the glass of Lex's window. Lex pulled the curtains and saw the man he was itching to get some answers from. Superman had been floating outside for quite some time eavesdropping. Luthor opened his window and let him in. Superman slowly floated in. From what Superman had heard from outside Lex's window he knew Luthor was unaware of Bruce's double life.

"You were responsible for the explosion weren't you?" Luthor screamed at Superman loudly.

"I still have the papers that show what it was you were really working on Mr. Luthor so you should probably lower your voice at me" replied Superman.

"What are you talking about? Are you blackmailing me alien? Do you know who I am?" bellowed Luthor.

"I know exactly who and what you are. I hope I don't have to cross paths with you again Mr. Luthor. You are a man of power and you should use that power for the good of all mankind and not just to further your own cause. You have a lot of potential to bring hope to men far less fortunate than you Mr. Luthor." said Superman.

"What the hell are you talking about you crazy lunatic." shouted Luthor. "First you cost me millions of dollars, then I have to thank you publicly, you even invite a friend from Gotham who can take pictures of you while you destroy my research, and then you blackmail me, threaten me and after all that you decide to poke me some more, so you lecture me. You are gonna regret this Superman. You have started something today alien, something that I will end."

Superman looked through Luthor's chest and could notice how rapidly his heart was beating as he said those venomous words. That wasn't the last time they would cross paths and he knew that. He then looked towards Bruce who had now involuntarily taken the posture he usually took as Batman.

"We need to talk Mr. Wayne," saying this Superman flew towards Bruce lifted him up and flew off. Luthor now frantically called in security. He started shouting, "He's got Wayne."


	6. Chapter 6: A Job For Superman

Superman flew Wayne to the roof of Luthor's building. He could sense how calm Bruce's heartbeat was even at such a formidable height much to his surprise. "He is used to heights" he thought as he gradually let their feet touch the concrete surface of the roof.

"You put many lives in danger last night Mr. Wayne" said Superman.

"My plan included the safety of those men, besides I wasn't expecting you. The explosion was a diversion for me and a test for you." replied Bruce, "I wanted to see what you did. I witnessed your strengths and weaknesses by my own eyes and I still see you as a threat."

"As I said before, I am not a threat. I am here to help. We fight for the same cause but I must say I don't like how you do things." said Superman.

"I couldn't care less about what you like or dislike. Countless lives would have been endangered had the technology you so kindly donated been used for weapon making." said Bruce staring back at the eyes of Superman.

"It was for the betterment of mankind. I didn't know that Luthor had taken the project to unwanted and dangerous directions. I did not..." a boom interrupted Superman. The noise came from a few blocks from Lexcorp and it was huge. "Sorry we'll talk later," saying this Superman took off from the roof and in a second it was like he was never there. Bruce retrieved his phone inside his pocket and dialed Luthor. "Yes, I am fine Lex. He wanted to know if I knew something about some alien weapon project. Ya, well I couldn't make much of what he said. Well don't bother. I am leaving for my suite. See you later." and then he hung up.

With blinding speed Superman raced towards the explosion that interrupted him earlier. Panic stricken people were running in direction opposite to him. He could see that they were frightened. As he approached further the cries grew louder. Burning vehicles and unconscious bodies lay around like scattered toys in a messy room. He swooped down to a small girl who was sobbing vehemently. "A bad man suddenly came before our car and stopped it with his bare hands and now I can't find Daddy and Mommy." Superman wiped her tears and looked to her with affectionate and sympathizing eyes, "I will find them. Let's get you somewhere safe for now OK." He secured her in his arms and sped far from the carnage to a far more peaceful atmosphere of the park, "Now you will stay here like a good girl, promise."

"Promise Mr. Superman." said the little girl as she wiped her wet eyes. Superman gave her an assuring smile, "I will be back with your mommy and daddy, you keep your promise," and then he took off on the trail of destruction again. He heard another explosion further ahead from the spot where he had found the little girl. He boosted his speed mid-flight shattering glasses of the windows of the roadside shops and vehicles. He slowed as he approached the site of explosion and then he saw the man who was going to make the headlines the next day.

A man who looked to be of the same age as himself stood before him lifting a car over his head. He had golden hair and blue eyes. The man had noticed the hero who had arrived. Bystanders watched helplessly gripped in fear and awe. He wore a brown leather jacket and a pair of jeans. He had a sadistic smile on his face.

"I assume you are responsible for all this?" said Superman.

"Indeed I am," were his words after which he tossed the car away like it was a toy.

Superman didn't look impressed. "Do you know how many lives were lost?" he shouted.

"I have always been weak with numbers. Explains the career I chose don't you think" replied the Meta-human who was now laughing cynically.

Clark peeked into the physiology of the man who stood before him with godlike strength that matched his own. He was shocked at what his X-ray analysis had unveiled to him.

A wide eyed Clark uttered, "What are you?"

"The name is John Corben and I am here for you."


	7. Chapter 7: World's Finest

The man who stood before him was not human at all. His skeletal system was unlike anything he had seen before, made entirely of metal. He also noticed that he couldn't see past his chest. It was unusual as he could practically see through anything on earth with the exception of the Pb element commonly known as lead. He was reluctant to fight the metal man with so many people around who were as fragile as glass to him but he had to stop him.

"What do you mean?" asked Superman.

"Well all you have to know is my name and purpose" replied the metal man.

"And what is your purpose." inquired Superman.

"Well your death of course." saying this he charged towards Big Blue with steps that cracked the surface of the road open. He flung a mighty fist that Superman dodged as he ducked downwards. Superman saw an opening and flung an uppercut with as much strength he had used against the Kryptonians, which landed on the jaw of the metal man sending him flying through two adjacent buildings. Superman flew through the holes that were made by the metal man's flying body. As he flew towards his enemy he pulled his right arm back to land one more hit which was unsuccessful as the latter grabbed his hand. The metal man then swung his own fist which connected on the right cheek of his adversary with a sickening sound. The punch sent the man of steel tumbling violently across the road. As Superman tried to get back up on his feet Corben ran up to him and landed a double handed blow on his back which flattened him on the ground forming a crater around him due to the monstrous impact. Corben then started stomping violently on the fallen hero. After taking a few stomps Superman rolled out of harm's way and used his heat-rays on Corben burning the synthetic skin off the side of his face. The metal on the right side of his face was distinctly visible now. As Corben covered his exposed face Superman grabbed him by his leg and started spinning ferociously. After gaining sufficient speed he let go of his leg sending him straight towards the big truck that had avoided getting damaged so far. The front of the truck had crushed upon contact and Corben was not moving.

The events taking place were being monitored via satellite cameras by the creators of the metal man. John Corben was a member of the U.S military who had voluntarily opted for the procedure of transferring his consciousness to a metallic humanoid body after he had lost his legs during war. His brain was the only organic component of the robotic body. He had undergone a drastic personality change after the procedure and had lost major portions of his memory. The U.S military had sanctioned project "Metallo" as preventive measure against a possible alien invasion after the arrival of the hostile Kryptonians few months ago.

"We sent him to nullify Superman not destroy the city and terrorize the civilians professor," said Swanwick.

"One of the minor setbacks was his newfound lust for gore. It was a risk we had to take. A couple of civilians won't make much difference. We are talking about the whole world General. You look at just one tree not the entire forest." replied Professor Vale.

"I was against this project all along, I am going to the higher ups to shut down this lunacy right now" saying this General Swanwick proceeded towards the exit.

"Professor the alien is dominating our soldier. He was supposed to be stronger, where did we go wrong" asked a female subordinate of the professor.

"Our calculations were perfect. Just let his secondary power source activate. It won't be long now." smiled Vale.

"Professor what if the General manages to shut us down" asked another subordinate.

"It will take him half a day to hold good at his words, more than enough for our soldier to decapitate the alien. They will then see how effective our project was and will allow us to continue with it" said Vale.

"Sir this secondary power source we are using do you really think it is stable." asked the female subordinate again.

"We will find out now won't we."

Corben was not moving at all. Superman feared the worst. He flew towards the motionless body. He caught him by his shoulders and shook him gently.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Superman. Trying to look through his chest for a beating heart was pointless as he still couldn't see through. Suddenly the metal man lifted his right arm which caught Superman by surprise. The metal man then let his elbow land on Superman's shoulder. Superman couldn't hold his grip and he knelt down. Corben then used his knee on the jaw of steel which sent the unfortunate receiver 10 feet into the air before gravity brought him down with a ground shaking impact. Superman could feel that the metal man had a sudden increase in his already formidable power. Superman used his heat rays which the metal man dodged easily by sidestepping. As Superman closed his eyes Corben saw his opportunity. He sped towards him and as he pulled his arm backwards for a mighty punch Superman did something no one had seen before. Spectators could feel the temperature drop suddenly. The man of steel was blowing out from his mouth air so cold that could shame the arctic winds. Metallo was frozen right on his track.

"That should keep you from..." but the cracking sound of ice interrupted Superman from finishing. The metal man broke from his ice prison shouting like a mad drunk. Professor Vale who was observing from his secure location with his assistants knew what it meant. The secondary power source had kicked in.

An out of control Corben caught Superman by his throat and thrust him on the ground with so much force that the point of impact looked like it had been ravaged by a meteor. He was laughing now as he punched his grounded opponent. "You are dead. You hear me dead." he cried as he continued punching.

"Enough," said Superman as he caught hold of Corben's fist. He landed a right hook on Corben who was sent flying a good distance skywards. Before Corben could land back on ground Superman flew towards him grabbing him by his hand. He then swung him around twice before sending him down crashing. There was smoke all over the point of impact. The man of steel then unleashed his heat rays on the fallen humanoid. The heat rays were more intense than what he had used in all his previous battles. The air around Corben had an unbearable stench of molten synthetic compound. It was the synthetic skin covering his body that was melting off and causing the odour. The metal underneath was completely visible now.

"It ends now," saying this Superman unleashed a flurry of punches on the metallic Corben. Corben knew he was on the verge of defeat and Superman was not slowing down. As Corben desperately tried to dodge the punches he was mostly unsuccessful. Superman caught him by the throat and landed 2 vicious punches and said, "You ready to stop now."

Corben let his fist answer that as it landed on Superman's face. Superman was not affected by it though. The desperate punch was considerably weak. Superman deduced that as he was in essence a robot he did have a power source which might be running out.

"You should give up now" said Superman who wanted to avoid hurting him needlessly.

Professor Vale who was witnessing all this was in utter shock. He looked to his assistants and sighed, "Project Metallo is officially a failure."

Corben's chest started emitting smoke suddenly. The secondary power source that was implanted on his chest was indeed unstable. Corben cried in pain as he placed his hand over his chest.

"What is wrong?" asked Superman.

"My chest is burning... aaargh... It needs to ventilate... " he crushed his chest plating with his hands and disposed it off. He was panting furiously.

Superman advanced towards Corben slowly. "You will be going to a maximum security correction facility Mr. Corben." Corben stood up slowly, "I don't think so. I answer directly to the General of the U.S military and I was merely following orders."

As Corben spoke those words Superman looked to be in immense pain. He fell to his knees nauseated.

"Are you mocking me?" screamed Corben.

"That green light inside your chest," Superman could hardly utter these words.

"What about it freak?" said Corben.

"Take it away" said Superman who was now puking on the floor.

Corben was trying to make sense of what was happening and then it finally crossed his sadistic mind. "Are you telling me that this chunk of green rock is doing that to you" laughed Corben.

Superman was now lying almost unconscious on the floor. He couldn't answer.

Corben was laughing uncontrollably now. He grabbed him by his red cape, punched him on the stomach twice and shouted, "Well ladies and gentleman apparently this god from Krypton has a weakness. A meteorite that fell to earth almost 34 years ago," He punched him again and then continued, "A meteorite that harms a Kryptonian, what shall we call it, how about Kryptonite." saying this he threw him towards a bus that toppled over on impact. "Kryptonite, now am I not a genius."

Professor Vale had discovered the meteoroid near Kansas almost 34 years ago. It was around the time when there was a huge rise in the number of rumours about U.F.O sightings in rural America. He had been studying the green radiation emitting meteoroid and had a major breakthrough when he discovered it's potential as a power source. It was recently that the U.S military took interest in his research and placed him in charge of project Metallo which involved the use of efficient power sources for mass production of invincible soldiers for use in the frontlines of war and also to keep alien trespassers in check. Corben was the first. The green chunks of meteoroid were limited and sufficient for only one soldier. The professor and his team had recently began working on duplicating the composition of the meteoroid and creating more of them though they were mostly unsuccessful. Professor Vale had a strong aversion for extraterrestrial life forms known as the Kryptonians as he believed in his core that the Kryptonians were harbingers of doom for all of mankind.

"Often we overlook what lies right underneath our noses. We had the cure to the alien disease all along and we didn't notice" said Professor Vale with a bright face.

With cackling laughter Corben continued punishing Superman who was now bleeding profusely from his nostrils. He could not fight back at all. Corben now looked more like a predator who was playing with his prey before going for the inevitable kill.

Reporters swarmed around the war zone. Lois had just arrived with Jimmy Olsen. She couldn't believe what was happening before her eyes. She had never seen him bleed before.

"Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the new man of steel." screamed Corben looking towards the reporters.

"I liked the old one better."

Before Corben could turn around to see who spoke those words he felt something beeping on his back. After 2 beeps he was sent flying across three buildings face first.

"You look like you need help." said a familiar voice. Superman slowly reached for the friendly extended hand, "I never thought I'd be happy to see your face again."

[Author's note: This was the second last chapter to my story. I will be working for a great ending soon. I appreciate all the reviews from Superfan2 and an anonymous guest. Cheers!]


	8. Chapter 8: Dawn of the Justice era

"Why haven't you been able to stop him uhmmm... Superman" said Bruce finally showing the respect and trust he had for the valiant alien.

That was the first time Batman had called him Superman. Clark was smiling as he responded, "He uses a green meteorite he calls Kryptonite which renders me helpless and weak 'Batman'."

"You stay here." saying this Batman used his grapple gun moving towards the direction his adhesive propellers had sent Corben in. Corben was now standing, exposing the green Kryptonite inside his chest.

"You did well behind my back, let's see how you fare head on," Corben lifted a red car which had toppled upside down due to his painful course earlier with the adhesive bat propellers. "Feel the metal!" he screeched and then flung it towards Batman.

The car flew 90miles/hour towards Batman. In what looked to be an almost involuntary response he slid below and let the car fly over him. He instantly threw 3 small spherical projectiles towards Corben and then used his grapple gun on the car that Corben had thrown earlier. Corben didn't know what was happening. He looked down on the floor where Batman's projectiles were scattered. Batman had used to his advantage the car that Corben threw earlier to escape from the blast radius. When it was clear to Corben what the Batman had done, it was unfortunately too late for him. A huge explosion shook the entire block.

Superman was back on his feet but he still looked feverish. He flew towards the explosion site immediately fearing the worst. He scouted around for any casualties and was mighty relieved when he found out there were none. He saw some movement under a huge concrete block amidst the chaos. He lifted and pushed the block aside revealing the hero underneath. Batman was not moving. "Batman say something." said Clark with a shaky voice.

"Never try taking in more than you can chew" saying this Corben walked towards Superman. Superman's eyes were still fixed on the fallen hero he held on his arms not paying any heed to Corben's words. Corben was now standing next to Superman. Superman felt that familiar pain again. He dropped next to Batman writhing in agony.

"I have no personal animosity towards you Superman. I am merely doing what I was built to do" said Corben.

"And what do you do after that? What after you kill me?" said Superman who was in immense pain.

"I..." Corben stopped in a moment of realization. He couldn't think of anything to say. Corben fell to his knees casing his head with his massive hands. He started mumbling to himself.

"I can help you." said Superman.

"Help yourself." was the reply. He asserted these words with a crushing blow to the weakened alien. Superman was helpless again.

"Your death will justify my existence as the sole protector man of steel." said Corben.

"Look around you. Look at all the chaos you brought. Is this how you protect?" questioned Superman.

"Do you think that your lecturing will stall your death" said Corben.

"I am not stalling my death, I am stalling you." said Superman.

"What are you talking about?" asked Corben.

"This," came that distinct voice. A metallic claw flew towards his chest grabbing hold of the chunk of Kryptonite and instantly retracted back leaving a void on his chest. The Kryptonite was now in the palm of the World's Greatest Detective.

"What are you doing?" bellowed Corben.

"You might want to turn around" was the cold answer from the Caped Crusader.

As Corben turned around he saw the face he dreaded.

"Maximum security prison" saying this Superman punched Corben who fell down unconscious.

Batman retrieved a plastic casing which he used for safekeeping of material evidence and secured the Kryptonite in it. He then looked at Superman who was standing a safe distance from the radiation of the Kryptonite.

"How did you get here, I left you at Lexcorp." asked Superman with a smile.

"Trade secret." replied Batman.

After a few moments the military arrived and enforced a perimeter. Superman and Batman stood tall as six soldiers lifted Corben and boarded him on one of their trucks with a lot of effort.

"Sir we will be taking that" said a soldier pointing towards the Kryptonite in Batman's hand.

"What if I say no." said Superman.

"Sir, that is a property of the American government and I have my orders." replied the young soldier who was clearly sweating now. He was demanding from 2 mountain of muscles and it was clearly taking it's toll psychologically.

Batman handed the Kryptonite over immediately to the intimidated soldier.

"Thank you sir," said the man as he hurried away from them.

"Why did you give it away Batman, don't tell me you still have trust issues with me" said Superman.

"Do you believe that even someone as godlike as you in his abilities should be answerable to someone?" replied Batman.

"The law is above everyone. Even me." answered Superman immediately.

"Then why not be answerable to the American people." said Batman.

"I answer to my conscience. Isn't that enough." stated Superman.

"No, it is not enough" replied Batman. He continued, "The Kryptonite will be a symbol of trust Superman. The people of earth have accepted you, they adore you and some worship you. They trust you with their lives so don't you think you should trust them with yours."

"And they call me the lecturer" smiled Superman.

"You will be surprised at what they call me back at Gotham." saying this Batman used his grapple gun disappearing in the broad daylight of Metropolis just as he did in the dark nights of Gotham.

Superman then remembered his promise. He sped towards the park where he had secured the little girl. He then flew back to the tattered city blocks with her. As he floated with the little girl safely on his arms of steel, they searched for her parents together. He suddenly felt the arms of the little girl tighten around him. "Down there Mr. Superman" she shouted in joy, "There besides that big fire truck."

Superman descended slowly towards the spot pointed to by his new friend. As soon as he put her on the ground she ran towards her parents. It was a tearful and a joyous family reunion. "Thank you Mr. Superman." she waved at him as her parents hugged and kissed her affectionately. He waved back with a smile as he took off.

"Yes Professor Vale. I am aware that you need a new sponsor for your research. I might be able to help. Congratulations! You are now an employee of Lexcorp. Oh don't worry about that. I am a bit of a scientist myself." saying this Luthor hung up with a menacing smile on his face.

Later that night in Clark's modest apartment the couple discussed events that occurred earlier during the day. Lois was clearly upset.

"You have always fought for them selflessly yet they fail to understand you" said Lois.

"What do you mean Lois?" asked Clark.

"Are you really that naive Clark, that thing that you fought earlier was obviously under orders from the military" said Lois.

"Well they did claim him." smiled Clark.

"You should take a stand against their atrocities. Who knows what else they are working on with the sole purpose of destroying you Clark." said Lois.

"They are people in power Lois, they need to take some precautions and I can't make everyone happy" said Clark adjusting his glasses.

"Will you please take that off Clark," complained Lois. Clark removed his glasses at once.

"I don't know Clark. Today when I saw you bleeding and hurting it felt like I was suffering with you. I don't wanna loose you Clark." said Lois who was almost in tears now.

Clark hugged Lois affectionately and then kissed her on the forehead. "You are not getting rid of me Miss Lane."

"By the way Clark," said Lois.

"Yes dear."

"I am still bashing the military on my report for what they tried against you today" said Lois.

"Rip them apart Miss Lane." smiled Clark who was adamant against this idea earlier. Lois Lane indeed knew how to break the man of steel.

"And that weirdo from Gotham, is he a friend?" asked Lois.

"Yes Lois, a good friend." replied Clark.

"That reminds me I read something about a new costumed man." said Lois.

"Sounds interesting Lois." said Clark.

"Yeah, calls himself The Fastest Man Alive, personally I think you can take him" said Lois.

"Well he sounds humble" smiled Clark.

THE END.


End file.
